Sundays at All Hallows (Sunday, November 5, 2023)

Welcome to Sundays at All Hallows

The first Sunday of November is often celebrated as All Saints’ Sunday, when the Feast of All Saints is not celebrated during the preceding week. The Feast of All Saints is also known as the Feast of All Hallows from which All Hallows Murray takes its name. “Hallow” is an old English word for “saint.” A saint, as defined in the New Testament, is one of those whom God has called out of darkness into his marvellous light to make known his goodness. All who have heard Jesus’ call and responded to it are saints. Saved by grace through faith in Christ, they are being transformed into the likeness of their Saviour and Lord. God is providing them with a wedding garment so they may feast with all the redeemed at the marriage supper of the Lamb.

GATHER IN GOD’S NAME

Open this link in a new tab to hear Marty Haugen’s “All You Works of God,” adapted from the Benedicite.

All you works of God,
Every mountain, star and tree,
Bless the One who shapes your beauty,
Who has caused you all to be
One great song of love and grace,
Ever ancient, ever new.
Raise your voices, all you works of God.

1 Sun and moon: Bless your Maker!
Stars of heaven: Chant your praise!
Showers and dew: Raise up your joyful song!

All you works of God,
Every mountain, star and tree,
Bless the One who shapes your beauty,
Who has caused you all to be
One great song of love and grace,
Ever ancient, ever new.
Raise your voices, all you works of Love.

2 Winds of God: Bless your Maker!
Cold and winter: Chant your praise!
Snowstorms and ice: Raise up your joyful song!

All you works of God,
Every mountain, star and tree,
Bless the One who shapes your beauty,
Who has caused you all to be
One great song of love and grace,
Ever ancient, ever new.
Raise your voices, all you works of Love.

4 All the earth: Bless your Maker!
Hills and mountains: Chant your praise!
Green things that grow: Raise up your joyful song!

All you works of God,
Every mountain, star and tree,
Bless the One who shapes your beauty,
Who has caused you all to be
One great song of love and grace,
Ever ancient, ever new.
Raise your voices, all you works of Love.

5 Wells and springs: Bless your Maker!
Seas and rivers: Chant your praise!
Whales in the deep: Raise up your joyful song!

All you works of God,
Every mountain, star and tree,
Bless the One who shapes your beauty,
Who has caused you all to be
One great song of love and grace,
Ever ancient, ever new.
Raise your voices, all you works of Love.

6 Flying birds: Bless your Maker!
Beasts and cattle: Chant your praise!
Children at play: Raise up your joyful song!

All you works of God,
Every mountain, star and tree,
Bless the One who shapes your beauty,
Who has caused you all to be
One great song of love and grace,
Ever ancient, ever new.
Raise your voices, all you works of God.
Raise your voices, all you works of God.

The Lord be with you.
The Lord bless you.

[Let us pray.]

Almighty God,
to whom all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from whom no secrets are hidden,
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy name,
through Christ our Lord. Amen.

‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and
with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your
strength.” Jesus said: “This is the great and first commandment. And a
second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’

Open this link in a new tab to hear “Khudaya, Raham Kar,’ an Urda Kyrie from Pakistan.

1, 3 Khudaya, rahem kar.
Khudaya rahem,
khudaya, rahem kar.
Khudaya rahem.
Khudaya rahem kar,
khudaya rahem.

2 Masiha, rahem kar,
masiha, rahem.
Masiha rahem kar,
masiha, rahem.
Masiha, rahem kar,
masiha, rahem.

1, 3 Have mercy on us, Lord,
have mercy on us.
Have mercy on us, Lord,
have mercy on us.
Have mercy on us, Lord,
have mercy on us.

2 Have mercy on us, Christ,
have mercy on us.
Have mercy on us, Christ,
have mercy on us.
Have mercy on us, Christ,
have mercy on us.

Let us confess our sins in penitence and faith, confident in
God’s forgiveness.

Silence

Merciful God,
we have sinned
in what we have thought and said,
in the wrong we have done
and in the good we have not done.
We have sinned in ignorance:
we have sinned in weakness:
we have sinned through our own deliberate fault.
We are truly sorry.
We repent and turn to you.
Forgive us, for our Saviour Christ’s sake,
and renew our lives to the glory of your name. Amen.

God of mercy, grant to your faithful people pardon and peace,
that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve you with
a quiet mind; through Jesus Christ our Lord.Amen.

Praise the Lord all you nations, acclaim the Most High all you peoples; for great is God’s love for us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever. Psalm 117:1, 2

Let us pray.

Almighty God,
you call witnesses from every nation
and reveal your glory in their lives;
make us thankful for their example,
and strengthen us by their fellowship
that like them we may be faithful
in the service of your kingdom;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD

A reading from the Apocrypha (Sirach 2:10–18)

Think back to the ancient generations and consider this: has the Lord ever disappointed anyone who put his hope in him? Has the Lord ever abandoned anyone who held him in constant reverence? Has the Lord ever ignored anyone who prayed to him? The Lord is kind and merciful; he forgives our sins and keeps us safe in time of trouble. But those who lose their nerve are doomed—all those sinners who try to have it both ways! Doom is sure to come for those who lose their courage; they have no faith, and so they will have no protection. Doom is sure to come for those who lose their hope. What will they do when the Lord comes to judge them?

Those who fear the Lord do not disobey his commands; those who love him will live as he wants them to live. Those who fear and love the Lord will try to please him and devote themselves to the Law. Those who fear the Lord are always ready to serve him. They humble themselves before him, and say,

We place our destiny in the hands of the Lord, not in human hands, because his mercy is as great as his majesty.

Silence

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.
Thanks be to God.

Open this link in a new tab to hear Kiran Young Wimberly’s paraphrase of Psalm 67, “May God Be Gracious.”

May God be gracious unto us
Make God’s face shine on to us
That your way be known on earth
And your power among all nations

Let the peoples praise you, God
All the peoples praise you, God
And be glad and sing for joy
Guide the peoples of all nations

God, our God, has blessed us kindly
Blessed us and sustained us kindly
God be gracious unto us
And God’s face shine on all nations

May God be gracious unto us
May God’s face shine on to us
God be gracious unto us
And God’s face shine on all nations

A reading from the New Testament (John 15:16–27)

You did not choose me; I chose you and appointed you to go and bear much fruit, the kind of fruit that endures. And so the Father will give you whatever you ask of him in my name. This, then, is what I command you: love one another.

“If the world hates you, just remember that it has hated me first. If you belonged to the world, then the world would love you as its own. But I chose you from this world, and you do not belong to it; that is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘Slaves are not greater than their master.’ If people persecuted me, they will persecute you too; if they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours too. But they will do all this to you because you are mine; for they do not know the one who sent me. They would not have been guilty of sin if I had not come and spoken to them; as it is, they no longer have any excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father also. They would not have been guilty of sin if I had not done among them the things that no one else ever did; as it is, they have seen what I did, and they hate both me and my Father. This, however, was bound to happen so that what is written in their Law may come true: ‘They hated me for no reason at all.’

“The Helper will come—the Spirit, who reveals the truth about God and who comes from the Father. I will send him to you from the Father, and he will speak about me. And you, too, will speak about me, because you have been with me from the very beginning.

Silence

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.
Thanks be to God.

Open this link in a new tab to hear Ruth Duck’s “Spirit, Open My Heart.”

Spirit, open my heart
To the joy and pain of living
As you love may I love
In receiving and in giving.
Spirit, open my heart.

1 God, replace my stony heart
with a heart that's kind and tender.
All my coldness and fear
to your grace I now surrender.

Spirit, open my heart
To the joy and pain of living
As you love may I love
In receiving and in giving.
Spirit, open my heart.

2 Write your love upon my heart
as my law, my goal, my story.
In each thought, word, and deed,
may my living bring you glory.

Spirit, open my heart
To the joy and pain of living
As you love may I love
In receiving and in giving.
Spirit, open my heart.

3 May I weep with those who weep,
share the joy of sister, brother.
In the welcome of Christ,
may we welcome one another.

Spirit, open my heart
To the joy and pain of living
As you love may I love
In receiving and in giving.
Spirit, open my heart.

How We Are Called to Live as Jesus’ Disciples

After reading Jesus’ warning to his disciples in today’s New Testament reading, I believe that a word of caution is in order. I have noticed how some individuals who claim to be followers of Jesus will take a passage of Scripture relating to what Jesus taught or how he acted and use it to justify behaving themselves in ways that are inconsistent with the whole body of his teachings and the way that he acted as whole.

Jesus recognized that since he had experienced rejection, his disciples would also experience rejection. In today’s New Testament reading he explains why.

Jesus, however, is not talking about attitudes, ways of thinking, and actions that those claiming to be Christians may adopt, which are not rooted in his teaching and example and have no real connection to him, and which elicit a negative response from those who have dealt with them directly or heard about them indirectly from others. These attitudes, ways of thinking, and actions are not the products of the Holy Spirit but are the effects of a sinful human nature.

We need to be careful not to confuse the enmity of the world to Jesus with the reaction of others to our own sinful behavior. The apostle Peter puts it this way:

For what credit is there if you endure the beatings you deserve for having done wrong? But if you endure suffering even when you have done right, God will bless you for it. It was to this that God called you, for Christ himself suffered for you and left you an example, so that you would follow in his steps. He committed no sin, and no one ever heard a lie come from his lips. When he was insulted, he did not answer back with an insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but placed his hopes in God, the righteous Judge. Christ himself carried our sins in his body to the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness. It is by his wounds that you have been healed. (1 Peter 2:20-24 GNT)

Jesus also does not tell his disciples to retreat into their own little Christian bubble in which they have minimal contact with the world outside that bubble, something that is becoming all too common in our own day in the United States. It accounts in part for the declining church attendance and shrinking Christian influence. Christians cannot be salt and light in the world if they withdraw from the world.

In living our lives according to his teachings and example and obeying his commands and directions, we testify to our faith in Jesus and our love for him. It is also integral to our witness to Jesus, along with telling people about Jesus. We accomplish nothing by gathering in holy huddles behind closed doors.

We need to be mindful that God is working in the hearts, minds, and lives of people beside ourselves. While some people have no interest in religion or spirituality as one study found, others are open to hearing the good news of Jesus and to becoming a disciple of Jesus. God uses human agents like us to extend Jesus’ call. The twelve disciples whom Jesus first called are not the only ones whom he has chosen to go and bear much fruit. All of his followers in every generation are expected to do the same until he comes again in glory.

Our health and other circumstances may limit what we can do. We can, however, do our part. For one thing we can do is to pray. Jesus encouraged his disciples not only to pray but also to persist in prayer. Jesus told them a story of a man who had a guest arrive at his house at an inopportune time, we can knock on our neighbor’s door late at night until he gets out of bed, unbars the door, and gives us the bread that we need to feed our guest. He used this story to illustrate the need to persevere in prayer. God may not always answer our prays the way we hoped he would, but he does answer our prayers. If we are ambulatory or otherwise mobile, we can periodically make a prayer walk around our neighborhood or some other part of the community and pray for the people who live or work there.

God can also use us in other ways to show his goodwill and favor toward our fellow human beings and ourselves and to achieve his purposes. We can make a phone call, send a card or a note, make time for someone, and perform other simple acts of kindness.

Depending upon our circumstances, we can join with other members of the community in public service projects intended to improve the quality of life for all members of the community. We can make a difference in other people’s lives in a variety of ways. At the same time, we will have many opportunities to not only live our faith but to share it too.

Whatever we do, it is important that we not let Jesus’ warning about suffering the hatred of the world became an obstacle in our minds to being a witness to our Lord in word and deed. In today’s New Testament reading Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit to help his disciples and that promise he made not just to them but to future generations of his followers, to us. It is a promise that he kept at the Feast of Pentecost after he ascended into heaven. It is a promise that he keeps today.

As Paul wrote his young protégé Timothy, “For the Spirit that God has given us does not make us timid; instead, his Spirit fills us with power, love, and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7 GNT). The Holy Spirit is God’s own presence living in us. If God himself is with us, we have nothing to fear. Indeed, the Holy Spirit will enable us to faithfully live the life of a disciple of Jesus.

Silence

Open this link in a new tab to hear Michael Perry’s “I Believe in God the Father.”

I believe in God the Father
who created heaven and earth,
holding all things in his power,
bringing light and life to birth.

I believe in God the Savior,
Son of Man and Lord most high,
crucified to be redeemer,
raised to life that death may die.

I believe in God the Spirit,
wind of heaven and flame of fire,
pledge of all that we inherit,
sent to comfort and inspire.

Honor, glory, might and merit
be to God, and God alone!
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
One-in-Three and Three-in-One.

THE MINISTRY OF PRAYER

Let us pray for all people and for the Church throughout the world.

Almighty God, your Son Jesus Christ has promised that you
will hear us when we ask in faith: receive the prayers we
offer.

Strengthen your people for their witness and work in the
world, and empower your ministers faithfully to proclaim
the gospel and to administer your holy sacraments. Unite in
the truth all who confess your name, that we may live
together in love and proclaim your glory in all the world.
God of grace hear us.

Give wisdom to those in authority in every land, and guide all
peoples in the way of righteousness and peace, so that they may
share with justice the resources of the earth, work
together in trust, and seek the common good.
God of grace hear us.

We commend to your keeping, Father, ourselves and each
other, our families, our neighbours, and our friends. Enable
us by your Spirit to live in love for you and for one
another.
God of grace hear us.

Comfort and heal, merciful Lord, all who are in sorrow,
need, sickness, or any other trouble. Give them a firm trust
in your goodness; help those who minister to them; and
bring us all into the joy of your salvation.
God of grace hear us.

We praise you, Lord God, for your faithful servants in every
age, and we pray that we, with all who have died in the faith
of Christ, may be brought to a joyful resurrection and the
fulfilment of your eternal kingdom.
God of grace hear us.

Accept our prayers through Jesus Christ our Lord, who
taught us to pray,

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.

THE SENDING FORTH OF GOD’S PEOPLE

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

May God bless us and keep us. Amen.
May God’s face shine on us and be gracious to us. Amen.
May God look on us with favour and give us peace. Amen.

Open this link in a new tab to hear Steve Angrisano and Tom Tomaszek’ “Go Make a Diff’rence.”

Go make a diff’rence.
We can make a diff’rence.
Go make a diff’rence in the world.

Go make a diff’rence.
We can make a diff’rence.
Go make a diff’rence in the world.

1 We are the salt of the earth,
called to let the people see
the love of God for you and me.
We are the light of the world,
not to be hidden but be seen.
Go make a diff’rence in the world.

Go make a diff’rence.
We can make a diff’rence.
Go make a diff’rence in the world.

Go make a diff’rence.
We can make a diff’rence.
Go make a diff’rence in the world.

2 We are the hands of Christ
reaching out to those in need,
the face of God for all to see.
We are the spirit of hope;
we are the voice of peace.
Go make a diff’rence in the world.

Go make a diff’rence.
We can make a diff’rence.
Go make a diff’rence in the world.

Go make a diff’rence.
We can make a diff’rence.
Go make a diff’rence in the world.

3 So let your love shine on,
let it shine for all to see.
Go make a diff’rence in the world.
And the sprit of Christ
will be with us as we go.
Go make a diff’rence in the world.

Go make a diff’rence.
We can make a diff’rence.
Go make a diff’rence in the world.

Go make a diff’rence.
We can make a diff’rence.
Go make a diff’rence in the world.

Go make a diff’rence.
We can make a diff’rence.
Go make a diff’rence in the world.

Go make a diff’rence.
We can make a diff’rence.
Go make a diff’rence in the world.
Go make a diff’rence in the world.
Go make a diff’rence in the world.

Let us go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
In the name of Christ. Amen.